


Bald Truths

by respoftw



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Aging, Getting Together, M/M, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 23:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9521459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: Rodney gives in to the inevitable and shaves his head.





	

Teyla raising her eyebrow in surprise was the more refined equivalent of McKay spitting out his coffee in shock. John had seen it happen only once before, when she had been told that her necklace was responsible for drawing the Wraith to them every time they stepped through the 'gate. Once, in almost seven years. Seeing it now, John knew that something unprecedented must have happened.

Turning to follow Teyla's gaze, John was glad that he had just swallowed the last mouthful of coffee in his cup because otherwise it would have been sprayed across the floor in shock.

Rodney was bald.

Not balding, not getting a little thin on top. _Bald_. _Woolsey_ level of bald. Worse, _Caldwell_ level of bald.

Rodney had been losing his hair steadily since the day John met him in Antarctica, since long before then actually. The childhood pictures that Jeannie had giddily shared with them showed a pretty kid with an abundance of dirty blonde hair but as early as 1991, Rodney's graduate photo showed a hairline that was marching northwards - no matter how much he tried to hide it by growing it out.

Giving in to the inevitable and shaving what was left wasn't something that John had ever thought that Rodney would do. Jennifer had suggested, just once, that he might want to cut his hair shorter to better hide the truth of just how far back his hairline started these days, and while John wouldn't go so far as to say that's why they broke up, he would be surprised if it wasn't a factor.

"Rodney, won't you join us?" Teyla's warm words brought John back to an awareness of something other than the lack of hair on Rodney's head.

Rodney pulled out the waiting chair and sat at the table, avoiding any eye contact with them. Teyla elbowed John pointedly. ' _Say_ _something_ ', her eyes screamed at him.

John opened his mouth to speak and promptly shut it again. He shrugged helplessly at Teyla. How the hell was he supposed to know what to say?

Teyla sighed deeply and Rodney flushed at the sound of it, as if he knew exactly what sort of silent conversation was going on around him. The table sat in an awkward silence for a full minute.

"I think you look very distinguished," Teyla eventually blurted out, causing Ronon to start snickering. John was pretty sure that Ronon was snickering at Teyla, whose utter astonishment at the whole situation was so out of character, but the moment the snicker left Ronon's throat, Rodney stiffened, his face pinching in on itself in hurt.

"That's right, laugh it up. McKay finally admitted defeat. We can't all be the larger, hairier version of Cousin It." Rodney always did have a tendency to get vicious when he was upset.

Ronon didn't even get a chance to explain himself, Rodney wasn't in the mood to listen. He stood up sharply and looked around the mess hall where a dozen pair of eyes swiftly moved away from him. Rodney opened his mouth and John was sure they were all in for the tongue lashing of the century but, instead, Rodney's shoulders fell imperceptibly and he closed his mouth.

"I'm taking the day off," he muttered before grabbing his uneaten muffin and stalking off, head down.

A buzzing hum of conversation picked up as soon as he left and Teyla glared at John until he stood up. "I'll go talk to him," he offered, "but if I make it worse, I'm blaming you."

Teyla smiled serenely at him. "I'm sure Rodney will appreciate your support, Colonel."

Yeah, John though, like a hole in the head.

-*-*-

Rodney's door slid open easily for John. It always had, no matter what Rodney tried to keep him out. John walked into Rodney's quarters and looked around, not immediately seeing Rodney.

The door to the bathroom was ajar and John knocked gently on it before walking in.

Rodney stood in front of the mirror, his back to John. John could see both of their reflections in the mirror and he leant against the doorframe watching Rodney examine himself.

"I look like my father." Rodney broke the silence.

"That a bad thing?" John asked.

"He was bald," Rodney said, as if that was an answer in itself. John supposed it might have been. "I bet your father never went bald."

John shrugged. It was true. Patrick Sheppard had died with a full head of hair. Didn't make him any better a parent.

"How bad is it really?" Rodney asked quietly. "I..Jennifer might have had a point and I looked at myself last night and..it seemed like a good idea at the time but.."

John refused to give Rodney any false platitudes. He respected the man too much for that so he really looked. Rodney stood quietly still as John examined his reflection closely.

The skin on his head was pale where it had previously been covered by hair, paler than the rest of Rodney's already lilywhite skin but his head wasn't weirdly shaped like John's Uncle Roger's had been. The skin looked soft and slightly fuzzy where the clippers hadn't quite managed to get right down to the skin. Weirdly, it made Rodney's eyes look bluer, or maybe that was just the self consciousness in his eyes.

John's eyes darted to his own reflection, to the lines around his eyes, the extra weight on his own face, the lack of definition in his jawline and the smattering of grey at his temples. They were all getting older. Rodney was doing it surprisingly well.  Better than him.

"You look good," John eventually said. "It suits you."

Rodney looked pleased at that, smiling slightly. "Well it's not like I had much of a choice. I used to have great hair," he lamented.

"I know," John grinned, "I've seen pictures. You were very pretty."

Rodney turned around, his back to the mirror and made a rude gesture with his finger.

John laughed. "What? You were."

"Not anymore."

John sobered up. "Not pretty, no," he agreed. "But you're still a good looking guy. Strong shoulders, nice eyes. Great ass."

"Bald." Rodney pointed at his head.

"Picard was bald," John offered.

"So was Kirk," Rodney said with a pointed look at John's own full head of hair. "Why are we talking about Star Trek captains?"

"I'm just saying," John shrugged. "He's bald but still sexy."

"Are you telling me something, Colonel?"

"They got rid of that last month," John shrugged. "Why?" John let his eyes drop to look at Rodney's lips. "You wanna ask me something?"

Rodney's eyes widened. He took a step towards John, intruding into his space. John had never minded when Rodney got too close and now was no exception. "Yeah," Rodney breathed. "I wanna ask you something. Is my bald head sexy too?"

John answered by kissing him.

Finally.

Rodney walked out his quarters three hours later, his bald head held high with John's hands clasped in his own.

Shaving his head was the best decision he'd ever made.

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to make it clear that I love all forms of David's hair (with the exception of his 'do in 'State of Syn' ::shudder:: ;)


End file.
